The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall

First things first, stay calm. [pg 10]


The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall
Canongate, 2007
Fiction; 428 pgs

From Amazon: The Raw Shark Texts, called “clever, playful . . . sharp and clear” by the Los Angeles Times and “a horror-dystopic-philosophical mash-up” by the New York Times Magazine, is a novel unlike any other. Eric Sanderson wakes up in a house one day with no idea who or where he is. Instructed by a mysterious note to visit a Dr. Randle, Eric learns that the agony of losing the love of his life in a scuba-diving accident three years before has destroyed his memory. But there may be more to the story, or it may be a different story altogether. As Eric begins to examine letters and papers left in the house by “the first Eric Sanderson,” a staggeringly different explanation for what is happening to Eric emerges, and he and the reader embark on a quest to recover the truth and escape the remorseless predatory forces that threatens to devour him. The Raw Shark Texts is a kaleidoscopic novel about the magnitude of love and the devastating effect of losing that love.

My Thoughts: I was asked to read this book by one of my coworkers who was not sure whether or not she liked it. As I got a little further into the book, I could understand why. It is not one of those books a person can adequately describe to someone who has not yet experienced it—and that’s exactly what this book is, an experience.

The title for Steven Hall’s novel is a play on the well known Rorschach Tests, more often referred to as the inkblot tests. It is a test that is believed to help reveal conceptual ideas, thought disorders and possible psychosis. Quite a few times throughout the book, I found myself wondering if Eric Sanderson was on a deep descent into mental illness. Or was it all real, his battle with the conceptual enemy that is eating away at his memories and the mental illness label just his therapist’s explanation for something she knew nothing about? Is Scout, his guide into the un-space, real or imagined? She seems real enough as does Doctor Fidorous. Both hold the knowledge of Eric’s past and can possibly lead him to salvation—or so Eric believes. But what of the Ludovician, the paper tunnel, the secret codes and constant paranoia? Is it real or Eric’s psychosis? It is up to the reader to decide, something the author encourages and, for the most part, expects.

One of my favorite parts about this book is Ian, the cat. Not just the cat himself, but about how he goes along with Eric on Eric’s search for the truth, Ian not always appreciating being dragged around from place to place or being put into dangerous situations. Ian is just an ordinary cat—he has no special powers or abilities. He is just there. He was an anchor to known reality in many respects, especially when events took a more surreal turn.

Taking a look beyond the bizarre, this book picks up on familiar themes. It is about a man who is in search of himself, trying to find out who he is and what his role in the world is. He is trying to understand the past while at the same time doing what he can to stay afoot in the present. His heart was dealt a horrific blow with the loss of his girlfriend and he is struggling still, even as he recalls nothing at all, to deal with a grief he can’t quite get his mind around. This is a story about trust, forgiveness and love.

Overall, The Raw Shark Texts is a fascinating novel. I admit there were a couple of more technical bits that I skimmed over. In those moments when I wondered, like my coworker, if I actually was enjoying the book, I only had to stop and consider how difficult it was to tear myself away from it and how easy it was to pick up and dive right back in again. Steven Hall definitely has created an unusual tale, unlike any other I have ever read. And the more I think about it, the more I like it.

Rating: (Good +)


Check out the author’s website for more information about Steven Hall and his book.